An examination of risk factors that moderate the body dissatisfaction-eating pathology relationship among New Zealand adolescent girls

Abstract

BackgroundEating disorders (EDs) and their subclinical variants are important health concerns for adolescent girls, and body dissatisfaction is a more common yet often debilitating experience that typically precedes the development of an ED. Despite this fact, little is known about what makes girls who are dissatisfied with their bodies more likely to engage in pathological eating behaviors. The present study explored eating pathology among a sample of adolescent girls from New Zealand and examined a variety of established risk factors that may moderate the relationship between body dissatisfaction (BD) and eating pathology.MethodsAdolescent girls aged between 14 and 18 (N = 231) completed questionnaires assessing eating pathology, BD, negative affect, perfectionism, self-esteem, teasing and sociocultural pressure. Regression analyses tested for moderator effects to examine which variables moderated the relationship between BD and eating pathology.ResultsThe analyses indicated that high levels of socially prescribed and self-oriented perfectionism, negative affect, perceived pressure from the media, and low levels of self-esteem all strengthened the relationship between BD and eating pathology.ConclusionsThe results highlight potential factors that may make adolescent girls who are dissatisfied with their bodies more susceptible to eating pathology.

The relationship between perfectionism and eating‐related symptoms in adolescents: A systematic review

“…One study investigating correlates of ED attitudes in adolescent dancers found that both conscientious perfectionism (i.e., an aspect of PS) and self‐evaluative perfectionism (i.e., an aspect of PC) were both related to EAT‐26 total score (Nordin‐Bates, Walker, & Redding, 2011). Similar associations were observed in a recent work conducted on female students (Rosewall, Gleaves, & Latne, 2018) that showed both self‐oriented perfectionism and socially prescribed perfectionism were related to EAT‐26. Authors also found that high levels of both these perfectionistic forms increased the impact of body dissatisfaction on eating pathology, suggesting their roles as moderators.…”

Bonding With Parents, Body Image, and Sociocultural Attitudes Toward Appearance as Predictors of Eating Disorders Among Young Girls

“…The differences may be due to study group characteristics and cultural factors. At the same time, studies' distinct aims should be indicated: in our study, we explored the direct influence of specific factors on risky behaviors, whereas in many other studies, the aim was to determine the mediating or moderating roles of various factors, including body image, on eating disorders (64,66,67). Mölber et al (68) indicated that body image disturbance in eating disorders is characterized by an idealization of being underweight in conjunction with a high degree of body dissatisfaction rather than a visual perceptual disturbance.…”

Examining the effectiveness of cognitive bias modification for perfectionism in exploration of the mediating and moderating effects of body dissatisfaction and self-efficacy

“…Given the links between perfectionism and eating disorders (Garner, Olmstead, & Polivy, 1983), the present study focused on perfectionism's relationship to body dissatisfaction, a primary risk factor for eating disorders (Rosewall, Gleaves, & Latner, 2018). Body dissatisfaction refers to negative attitudes toward one's body (Stice & Shaw, 2002).…”